Phuket authorities are urgently investigating a fire at Chalong Pier that destroyed over 20 speedboats. The governor has ordered a swift inquiry into the cause of the blaze.
At around 04:00 on the morning of 7 Jan 2026 GMT+7, police from Chalong Police Station and rescue officials received reports of a speedboat fire at Chalong Pier, Chalong Subdistrict, Mueang District, Phuket.Read more: Fire destroys over 10 speedboats at Ao Chalong Pier, Phuket, causing damages worth tens of millions.)
Lieutenant Colonel Adul Chuthong, Deputy Governor of Phuket, said that after receiving the report, authorities were immediately ordered to control the situation. Preliminary inquiries from witnesses and local officials revealed the fire started from an explosion on the first speedboat. Sea winds then carried sparks to nearby docked speedboats, causing the fire to spread rapidly and damage over 20 boats initially.
During the incident, rescue workers along with disaster prevention and mitigation teams from Chalong, Rawai, Wichit, and Karon municipalities, plus the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization’s Pearl Center and related agencies, mobilized fire trucks and personnel to urgently douse the flames. They cut ropes to separate boats as much as possible to prevent further spread. However, low tide made firefighting difficult and prevented immediate containment.
Phuket Governor Nirat Pongsitthawon ordered the Phuket Harbor Office to supply foam to contain oil spills at sea. Police and forensic teams were instructed to inspect the area and expedite a detailed investigation into the fire’s cause.
Officials and relevant department heads closely monitored the situation on-site, including Phuket Provincial Secretary Rungreung Thimabut, Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization Chief Rewat Areerob, Phuket Regional Harbor Office Director Adul Ralukmun, and Charan Kwankaew, acting head of Phuket’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, along with other local agencies.
Later, the Phuket governor ordered an urgent probe into the fire’s cause and a review of all CCTV footage around the incident and surrounding routes, as all boats had full fuel tanks in preparation for tourist trips to nearby islands.
The latest damage assessment shows over 20 boats affected by the fire. As the tide rose later in the morning, officials were able to move boats. The governor ordered the rapid removal of boats from the area to prevent sediment and debris from contaminating the sea and to minimize environmental impact.
A boat owner affected by the fire said three of his speedboats were damaged, each valued at about 5 million baht. He usually runs trips to Racha and Coral Islands and had a full booking today, but could not take tourists out. He canceled the trips, affecting over 100 tourists, and described the damage as extensive.